Forty gleaming classic and collectible cars went under the hammer this past Saturday at Creative Rides’ Main Road showroom in Bryanston, delivering an electric atmosphere and standout results at one of SA’s most exciting automotive events, to more than 200 enthusiasts in attendance and many more online.
Leading the pack was a spectacular 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster, which achieved an astounding R3.3m under the gavel of auctioneer Joff van Reenen.
This wasn’t just any Porsche. The 1989 Speedster is a one-year-only limited production model, first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1989. Inspired by the original 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster, only 2,104 units were built — and the star of Saturday’s auction was one of just 139 right-hand-drive second-generation Speedsters (the coveted G-Series model).
Notably, the G-Series Speedster was never offered for sale in SA. At its 1989 global launch, it carried a 25% premium over the regular Porsche 911 Targa, which retailed locally for R341,000. But, factoring in SA’s 100% import tariffs at the time, the landed cost of a 911 Speedster back then would have been around R450,000 — a small sum compared to the car’s status (and value) today, earning its seller an outstanding investment return.
The top five sellers of the day were dominated by German engineering, with modern BMW icons following closely behind the Porsche. A 2017 BMW M4 GTS F82 reached a price of R1.8m and a 2021 BMW M2 CS achieved R1.7m.
But it wasn’t all about Europe. One of the surprises of the day was a 1969 Dodge Charger 440 RT which sold for R2m. This wasn’t your average muscle car — it featured an 8.5l Chrysler Hemi V8 engine and a suite of mechanical upgrades, making it a true resto-mod masterpiece.
On the SA muscle-car front, a pristine 1972 Ford Fairmont GT achieved a respectable R900,000, while a matching-numbers Ford Capri Perana V8 was arguably well purchased at R700,000.
Another local highlight was an iconic “SA-only” Volkswagen Golf Mk I GT LTD, number 003 of just 1,000 built, showing only 29km on the odometer. Although it fetched R550,000, it did not meet its reserve price.
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